At present, the demand for computing devices continues to rise, even as the demand for computing devices to achieve higher performance also rises. However, conventional electrical I/O (input/output) signaling is not expected to keep pace with the demand for performance increases, especially for future high performance computing expectations. Currently, I/O signals are sent electrically to and from the processor through the board and out to peripheral devices. Electrical signals must pass through solder joints, cables, and other electrical conductors. Therefore, electrical I/O signal rates are limited by the electrical characteristics of the electrical connectors.
While the use of optical interconnections is finding increasing use in computing devices, currently the components used for optical signaling require special processing that increases the cost and complexity of system manufacturing. In addition, optical cables for optical signals are still required to be improved for other demands, such as the demand for exterior appearances.